By Joel Magalnick, JTNews Correspondent
Mercer Island’s Congregation Herzl-Ner Tamid buzzed with excitement on Nov. 16 as crowds flocked in to see the art and Judaica many Israeli artists came to town to sell. The event, Shop Israel in Seattle, attracted approximately 2,500 people from around the community, according to event chair Dave Landsman.
“Conservatively, we did $125,000,” said Landsman, who was still adding up the tallies when he spoke to the Transcript. “I was pretty excited.”
Most of the vendors, some of whom sell their own wares while others represent Israeli artists, did very well.
“It was my best show in the last year,” said Ephraim Rubin of the Cardo Gallery and Eden Gallery in Jerusalem. Rubin represents several artists, and said all of them did very well. His newest artist, David Gerstein, sold several of his colorful metal pieces at this show.
“It was excellent for me,” said Uri Gabrieli of Tel Aviv, who could be seen helping Bar Mitzvah boys from all over the city try on his hand-woven tallisim.
Both Rubin and Gabrieli have traveled around the United States attempting to make up for business lost with the huge drop in Israel’s tourism.
“The last year I’ve been back and forth, back and forth, back and forth,” said Rubin. In this trip alone, which will last for close to two months before he heads back to Jerusalem, Rubin will have visited a dozen cities.
Gabrieli could not count how many towns he has been to over the past 18 months, but the five he traveled to on this trip dotted the breadth of the lower 48 states. In order to survive, however, this is what so many of Israel’s artists need to do — and have been doing.
“It is the only income we have these days,” said Gabrieli.
Herzl-Ner Tamid donated its social hall for the event, and every made by the Israelis went to the Israelis. Landsman said that approximately 120 volunteers staffed the event itself on three shifts, while others created the footprint of the sales floor and helped with the marketing and public relations.
That made everything flow more easily, because there was a “steady stream all morning,” Landsman said. “From 10 o’clock on, it really started going, even in the pouring rain.”
He is not sure yet if this event will continue next year.
“I’d rather not,” he said. “I’d rather we didn’t need to, but I have a feeling the need isn’t going away.”
With the good feeling Landsman said most people got from Shop Israel, he believes he can double the attendance if the sale does go on.
For his part, Rubin said he wanted people to know “how much we appreciate it. We don’t take it for granted, and it’s great when you travel to meet a warm community.”
The Jewish Transcript is offering to give $10 from every new subscription through Dec. 15 directly back to Shop Israel to help defray travel costs. For more details or to subscribe, contact [email protected].